Let's Fight More Often
by KateToast
Summary: Fighting about college isn't fun. Making up is. It just takes a lot of angry words to get there. CZ.


A/N: Anger turning into fun. Don't know where this came from; just wanted to write it.

XXX

"Break up? Break _up_?"

"Well? What did you think I was gonna say? That we should get _married_?"

"No, of _course_ not! But how can you be asking me if I think we should break up? Do you not realize how much I _don't_ want to do that?"

"But we're going to _college_! We're not going to be hanging around the PCA campus anymore! It isn't gonna be as easy as it has been for us-"

"We've had it _easy_?"

Zoey whipped her head around towards him as Chase said those words. Her arms were tightly crossed against her chest, and he was standing across the room from her, his arms by his sides but his entire body taut with newly boiling frustration. She'd never seen Chase this angry - or this passionate.

"Well, compared to other people, yeah, we have! I mean, we've had our issues, our ups and downs – everyone does!" she explained.

"But how could you be asking me if I think we should break up, just because senior year is almost over and we're going to college? We've barely been together a year!" he said accusingly.

"Well that isn't _all _my fault, buddy," Zoey reminded him, glaring. "But thanks for the blame."

"I'm not blaming you, and I'm not saying it's all your fault," Chase said, "but I'm also saying I don't want to lose you just when I've gotten you."

"But we're both going to college! I mean, you're staying in California, and I'm going to New York! How are we supposed to make a cross-country relationship work? Plus, I mean, I don't even live in the United States anymore! My parents are in England, and even though I can stay with my grandparents in Connecticut, I can't live with them _all_ summer! Why won't you even be reasonable and _consider _what I'm asking you?"

While Zoey had been ranting, Chase had stopped looking annoyed and had started to look more hopeful. Finally noticing his changed expression, Zoey asked, "What?"

"I'm not going to UCLA anymore."

Zoey's heart skipped a beat. "What?" she repeated like an idiot.

"I've decided to go to Boston University," Chase informed her.

She stared at him for a long time, shocked. Then, quite suddenly, she exclaimed, not happily, "When were you gonna tell me _that_??"

"I was waiting for the right time!"

"The right time would've been two weeks ago, say, May 1st when our decisions were due? You've let me believe all this time we were going to be across the country from each other!"

"I know, I'm an idiot as usual, I'm sorry!" Chase apologized anxiously. "I wanted it to be perfect, when I told you, and I was gonna have things planned out, I was gonna do research and then give you a plan. But I mean now – now we can stay together!"

"Excuse me?"

"Well we're only gonna be a few hours from each other! The Fashion Institute _is_ in New York City, and I _will_ be in Boston, and I hear now they have these great things called trains and buses that can bring you almost anywhere you want in the country-"

Zoey was ready to strangle him. "Oh stop being all sarcastic!"

"I don't see the problem anymore!"

"The problem is I don't want to hold _you_ back…"

"And you don't want _me _holding _you_ back," Chase finished for her. They were still a room-length apart. Good thing Quinn and Lola were out - most likely _not _fighting - with their respective boyfriends.

"Well…"

"Zoey, do you even love me anymore?"

Zoey's jaw literally dropped. "_What_?" she shouted. "How can you ask me that? Of _course_ I still love you!"

"Then why do you think we can't make this work?" Chase pleaded.

"Because we're so young, we're going to college, there's going to be so many news things, new people, new situations," she explained, fired up. Why couldn't he just see where she was coming from? "I don't want either of us to get hurt."

"So you'd rather cut ties now."

"I guess so… well, no, that isn't what I'm say-"

"You can't have it both ways, Zoey," Chase warned her. His eyes were full of hurt, and irritation.

Changing the subject completely, Zoey suddenly accused, "Did you decide on BU to be closer to me? Is that the reason you aren't going to UCLA?"

Chase was caught off guard. He blinked, and then he frowned. "Actually, I ended up choosing BU because it was closer to my family, and because I was sick of California; I want snow at Christmas. And it's a really good school for a communications major like me. And yeah, you may have been a factor, but contrary to what you may believe, the world's decisions do not revolve around you, Zoey Brooks."

Now Zoey was the one who was flabbergasted. This was a new low. She knew she could be a bit self-centered in her actions, but up until now no one had ever called her out on it. Of _course _Chase would be the one to do it.

"Wow," Zoey said, shaking her head, a twisted smile on her face. "A little harsh, don't you think?"

To his credit, Chase did look a bit apologetic. However, he did not verbalize his expression. Instead he said, "Well I seem you recall you wanting to break up with me so the college transition would be easier."

"When did I ever actually say I _wanted_ to break up? I just wanted your opinion!"

"Well you've gotten it!"

"Then I don't know what else to do!"

"Maybe we should just break up now and be done with it, huh? You can have all the precious free time you want in New York, no boyfriend-baggage or anything."

"God, I just wanted to _discuss_ this, like _adults_, and now you sound like some little _kid_-"

"Back at you," Chase interrupted.

They were silent. She stared at this boy in front of her, this boy who was now supposed to be a man. She saw how angry he was, how sad he was, how tired he was. All because of her. They'd had such a good year together, they'd finally gotten to be together after so much waiting and anticipation and let-downs… but she didn't, _couldn't _believe that it could stay so good once they were in different cities, different states.

And it scared her.

So she decided to approach him with the only option she could think of.

And it had backfired.

"Just – just leave," she finally said.

"Fine." He was so angry she could practically see him shaking as he stormed past her. She said nothing, didn't even look, as he opened the door, and then shut it unceremoniously behind him.

Now all she had was the quiet.

Zoey didn't cry. She was too riled up to cry. But she did sit down on her bed, grab a pillow, and throw it across the room. Then she grabbed another pillow and threw that, too.

She was on to throwing her fourth stuffed animal when the door burst open and shut again. She jumped up from her bed but didn't move further as he spoke.

"I _know_ you're scared, and I _know_ you don't think we can make this work, and I know _I'm _scared, but _I know_ we can make this work. I don't want to break up with you. I don't want to lose you. I can't. And if you don't like that then tough, because you are stuck with me. The day you told me you loved me back you gave up all rights of talking about breaking up. I can't believe you're even _using_ this reason – _college_? How stupid is that?"

Chase stared at her. He was still visibly annoyed, but he'd said all of this calmly, controlled. He said it like it was all matter-of-fact.

"I don't know what to say," is what Zoey ended up deciding on saying. Smooth. "I'm sorry. I'm just… I'm so nervous for everything. For the future." His comment about her self-centeredness still stung; she couldn't look him in the eye.

"God, why did we have to get in to this huge argument? All it did was prove one thing."

Zoey met his gaze. "What's that?" she asked, unsure.

With total seriousness, Chase replied, "You are insanely sexy when you're angry. All I wanted to do was kiss you when you were yelling at me."

It took her a minute, but finally she mustered one word: "Oh."

After the one word, and after another bout of intense staring, Zoey grabbed Chase and pulled him roughly to her, pressing her lips so hard against his she wondered if there may be bruises tomorrow. He responded immediately, excitedly, putting his hands on her hips as she led him backwards until her legs hit the edge of her bed and they fell backwards.

He was showing her just how much he'd liked seeing her angry side. His lips moved to her neck, and she chose that time to ask: "So I'm guessing we aren't fighting anymore."

He chuckled into her skin. "_I'm _guessing we're not gonna talk about breaking up anymore?" he countered.

"Mmm, well, if it leads to this kind of making up, we may have to have these discussions more often," she told him coyly. He laughed, and she took the opportunity to flip them over so she could pin him down.

She _did_ like to always be in control.

"Let's fight more often," he agreed as he ran his hands up the backs of her legs, over her hips, up her back, into her hair and then back down again.

If she'd known this was the result of fighting with Chase, she would've brought her concerns up _ages_ ago.

XXX


End file.
